Another movie shot in Taft ready for theater, DVDs

'Then Again' to play at festivals. It was filmed at several locations in Taft

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By Dennis McCallMidway Driller staff writer

Taft Midway Driller - Taft, CA

By Dennis McCallMidway Driller staff writer

Posted Sep. 27, 2012 at 3:19 PM
Updated Sep 27, 2012 at 5:02 PM

By Dennis McCallMidway Driller staff writer

Posted Sep. 27, 2012 at 3:19 PM
Updated Sep 27, 2012 at 5:02 PM

A feature film shot almost entirely in Taft is ready for release.

"Then Again" chronicles the struggles of a small town girl who is torn between her family loyalties and her dreams.

Director/producer Ayan Pratap wants to do a screening in Taft once the movie makes its rounds of film festivals.

"We plan on doing a screening in Taft based on our selection decision at a few major festivals," he said in an email. "We will be looking for a limited theatrical distribution deal followed by a DVD release next year."

The theatrical trailer – industry speak for a preview – will be launched soon, Pratap said, but a "teaser" is available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPOR9qwjWZA

Movie merchandise and a motion picture track also will be released soon.

"Then Again" is a film about a young girl's journey to discover her life's passion, exploring issues related to small towns that are faced by millions of people around the world, Pratap said.

It is his directorial debut, and he says "Then Again" is an important film "in the sense that it leaves us with a profound connection with a part of ourselves which may not have been satisfied or even explored yet."

The film explores life from the eyes of a creative person and the hurdles one's environment can create in the path of following dreams. For different people, the hurdles are different. Physical, financial, family or mental, whatever the hurdles may be, "Then Again's" focus is to give hope for people who have buried their dreams because someone said "no."

Written by Jim Suthers, the story was co-developed by Suthers and Pratap.

The film stars Aleece Jones in the lead role of Alexandria Carlson with John Michael Herndon playing John Carlson as Alex's father and Christophe' Ivins playing Chuck Crowley, the world famous photographer and prodigal son who comes back to the small mining town of Cooper Flats and inspires Alexandria to further her dream.

The feature was shot "95 percent in Taft" with a total time frame of 18 months from early development all the way through post-production and completion.

"Then Again" has been submitted to a dozen national and international film festivals for 2013 including the Sundance Film Festival.

"Making of Then Again was a true satisfying organic experience," said Pratap. "Directing the first feature is always memorable and especially when it highlights important issues in society."

He added that the movie is "an interesting blend of art and commerce, while still being a reflection of the society we live in. Every film has constraints like we did. We are happy that we were able to tell an important story with these constraints that is connecting with more and more people, which is evident in their reactions at the screenings."